The Hogwarts Express steam engine was called into service for Muggle transportation yesterday in Scotland. The train took over the summer steam service between Fort William and Mallaig because the regular engine for that route had broken down. The locomotive will also be used today as part of a nine-day “Pottermania” tour, chartered by an …read more!

Update: We think the probs with downloading are fixed now. Try again 🙂 Wizard rock invaded NYC this past week, and PotterCast was there to capture the action; we made a little video PotterCast special for those who couldn’t take part. Download to see live concert footage of Harry and the Potters, Draco and the …read more!

Alan Rickman (Professor Snape) will appear on a poster for the American Library Association‘s “Celebrity READ” program. The READ campaign to encourage children to read was initiated in 1985 with a poster of Bill Cosby holding his favorite book, Treasure Island. That poster was succeeded by hundreds of others, featuring film, music and sports stars …read more!

Hey guys: as you read in the post below about the radio interview, I’m in Indianapolis right now with Emerson of MuggleNet. We were invited to be guests at the 2006 InConJunction Sci-Fi convention. We’ll be here for the whole weekend, so if you’re in the area, feel free to stop by! Get more info …read more!

Extendable Ears returns to PotterCast this week in a big way with Cheryl Klein, editor at Arthur A. Levine books at Scholastic, who has helped bring the last two Harry Potter books to the world, as well as serves as the guiding hand to a wide range of other novels. We’ll be talking with her …read more!

The separate bookstore sites have been advertising them, but here they are in one place: This July, I for Leaky, Emerson for MuggleNet and Cheryl Klein, editor at Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic books, will visit bookstores in three states to talk about the Harry Potter series and what’s left for our hero. The live events will …read more!

Actress Julie Walters (Mrs. Weasley) received the Best Actress Award at the 28th annual Moscow International Film Festival on Sunday for her work in “Driving Lessons,” also starring Rupert Grint. The film also took the Festival’s Special Prize for best picture. Congratulations to Ms. Walters and the “Driving Lessons” cast and crew! Thanks to those …read more!

When filming resumes on Order of the Phoenix – on a hiatus for exam season – later this month, it will include filming of the scenes at 4 Privet Drive, sources have told Leaky. Meanwhile, our friends at MuggleNet have received some new photos from the location preparation for Harry Potter and the Order of …read more!

It’s the first time we’ve remembered to celebrate it, but nonetheless: Six years ago today, before Goblet of Fire had come out in hardback, Kevin C. Murphy published a teeny little news blog called The Leaky Cauldron and made the first post of what has become the oldest Harry Potter news archive online. It said: …read more!

Happy July 4, everyone (or at least, everyone in America)! Here’s to lots of barbecue, pool sports, and fireworks. Stay cool, and enjoy!